John Adams Dbq Essay

Most gentlemen would heap mountains of praise upon the late John Adams. Such gentlemen would look at Adams’s life and feel awestruck at how a single man was not only able to contribute greatly towards this country’s founding but also able to serve as both vice president and president of the Unites States. Ignorant men would say that an accomplished man of Adams’s stature would be more than deserving of such recognition. For, according to them, our country flourished under Adams’s influence. However, I, James Madison, do not stand amongst the foolish; I believe that the leadership of this nation under John Adams could only be described as atrocious. Others may argue that Adams benefitted this country, but, really, his blunders far outweigh

He is expected to put the people before himself. He is expected to appease opposing parties with thoughtful compromises. These expectations ought to have been lowered when Adams stepped into office. Not only did he infuriate his federalist opponents, but also he managed to turn his own party against him with outrageous, braggadocious diary entries complementing France. After the signing of Jay’s Treaty, Adams made a futile attempt to make peace with the French. This resulted in the infamous XYZ Affair, a failed diplomatic episode in which Adams sent three delegates to speak with French Foreign Minister Talleyrand. The Quasi War, an undeclared naval war with France, was a repercussion of such ill fated decisions. The French helped our country break free from the chains of monarchy, and how do we repay them? By turning away from them in a time of need! However, the most notable blunder that defined Adams’s presidency was the creation of the Alien and Sedition Acts. Simply put, these acts outlawed freedom of speech. Adams effectively propelled America backwards to the days of British subjugation when John Peter Zenger was put on trial for speaking ill of the British government. Adams’s desire to quell